Who is Quaden Bayles and what happened in the bullying video?

BULLIES at school and online trolls traumatised Quaden Bayles, nine, so much that he wanted to die.

Quaden Bayles' mum filmed his deep distress in a now-viral video, to show “this is what bullying is doing”. We explain what happened in the clip, and look at the phenomenal response.

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Who is Quaden Bayles?

Quaden Bayles, nine, is an indigenous schoolboy who lives in Brisbane, Australia.

Several days after he was born, doctors told his mum, Yarraka Bayles, that her infant had a common form of dwarfism, achondroplasia.

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What happened in the video of Quaden Bayles?

A distraught Yarraka posted a six-minute video clip to show “this is what bullying is doing and I want people to know how much this is hurting us as a family."

After collecting her lad from school "in hysterics", following further bullying, she filmed him and posted the clip on her Facebook page.

She explains in it: "I've just picked my son up from school, witnessed a bullying episode, rang the principal and I want people to know - parents, educators, teachers - this is the effect that bullying has."

The video shows a sobbing young Quaden saying: "Give me a knife, I want to kill myself. I just want to die right now."

His mum adds: "This is the impact that bullying has on a nine-year-old kid that just wants to go to school, get an education and have fun.

"But every single freaking day, something happens. Another episode, another bullying, another taunt, another name-calling."

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Understandably emotional herself, Yarraka pleads for advice from families on how best to raise awareness and increase knowledge about the impact of bullying in schools, so "this doesn't happen" again.

She continues: "I've got a son that is suicidal almost every single day.

"Every time there is a triggering - anything that happens at school, or while we're in public, which is almost every time we're in public."

Yarraka says that she and other family members had to stay strong and positive for her boy, but she has to keep a constant eye on him, because of previous suicide attempts.

Three years ago, the mum found Quaden trying to take his own life because of the vicious taunts.

Yarraka adds: "I just want people to know, and see the impact because this could be your child or your child could be the bully that pushes a kid over the edge.

"And God forbid we lose another child to suicide because of the bullying."

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How much money has been raised and who has donated?

Yarraka Bayles's searingly honest and heartbreaking video has been viewed more than 19 million times.

Her appeal sparked an outpouring of worldwide support for her bullied boy, including from celebrities and athletes.

Australian actor Hugh Jackman said “you are stronger than you know, mate” and urged people to “be kind” to each other.

Eric Trump — the son of US President Donald Trump — said the video was “absolutely heartbreaking”.

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Boston Celtics basketball player Enes Kanter wrote on Twitter: “This is one of the hardest videos I’ve watched.

“No place in the world for bullies.”

The video prompted American comedian Brad Williams to launch a page to "send a wonderful kid to Disneyland".

Brad says he set it up to "let Quaden know that bullying will not be tolerated, and that he is a wonderful human being who deserves joy".

Kindhearted people from across the world have rallied behind the boy, and utterly blitzed Brad's fundraising target of $10,000 to donate $442,925.

About 20,000 people have dug deep to fly Quaden to Disneyland.

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Quaden, who is Aboriginal Australian, was also invited to lead the Indigenous All-Stars out onto the field in their rugby league clash with the Maori All Stars in Queensland on February 22.

His stunned mum said: “We could never have dreamt in our wildest dreams that it would’ve gone worldwide and created such a media frenzy.

“There are way too many people suffering in silence and my heart goes out to those families that have already lost their children to bullying.

"It’s an international crisis and it demands urgent attention.”

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